- Happy New Year (eve)!
A Bible verse looms large in my mind today:
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. — Ephesians 5:15-16
As today is the last day of the year, it naturally leads to reflection on the year nearly past. Did I walk wisely? Did I make good use of my time?
I would encourage you to do a little self-check around this. How did you do in 2021. I think we can all agree that it wasn’t the year that we expected or wanted. But it was the year that we had.
Reflection can take place in a lot of different areas of our live:
- Career
- School
- Relationships
- Hobbies
- Projects
The possibilities are nearly endless.
But the one area that I am zeroing in on is: Spiritual Life.
- What’s the state of my relationship with Jesus?
- Did it grow over the year past? Or maybe it drifted or stagnated?
- Was it constant? Or did it fluctuate a lot from month to month?
- Am I practicing habits that promote a strong relationship?
For my part, I know that the first half of the year was very up and down. If I was studying the Bible (generally for some specific purpose), I was much more focused on Jesus than if I was just “living my life”.
There’s a really big lesson there, if you’re looking to learn. What you do in your life has a direct impact on your spiritual vitality.
In August I got really convicted that my hit-or-miss behavior was not what I wanted. So I purchased a One Year Bible. I figured it would make the regular process easier to follow. Literally it’s got a date and reading. Couldn’t be easier.
Since August, I’ve been reading my Bible daily. I’ve missed a few days here and there, but I didn’t try to get caught up. I just read the passages for the day (Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms & Proverbs).
What’s been awesome about that for me is that I follow up the Bible reading time with prayer. So in a way it’s been a 2-for-1 deal. Daily Devotional Prayer has been a big boost to my spiritual life. It helps me bring my requests to God and talk to Him about my day and what is going on in my life.
My small group read and discussed the book “The Kneeling Christian”. Wow. That really spoke to me about the power of Prayer. I lead the prayer team at my church, but I still have a lot to learn about prayer. So this is really a big deal for me to get inspired to pray.
I have loved this addition to my morning routine. And I think it makes a difference in my day. It helps me remember that I was a sinner destined for judgment and punishment. And there was nothing I could do about it. Then a holy and righteous God sent His Son to pay the horrific price I could not afford and credited His righteousness to my account. So now I have a new name, a new future and a new inheritance, reserved in heaven for me.
When I remember that about myself, it’s much harder to get angry at someone else. I can’t get as upset because I know that but for the Grace of God, I’m just the same as whatever is annoying me. So it’s given me a lot more calm and a lot more patience with others.
And that’s a real blessing.
Beyond that, as an author, I had modest progress this year.
- I did release Getting to Know God’s Word – which is a book that I really loved to write and think it has the potential for huge impact in readers’ lives.
- I put together 2 studies: 1 Timothy and Ruth. And I released them as free email studies as well as Online Video Studies in my Bible Study Academy.
- I’ve started (just barely) writing on my fourth Angel short story. I won’t finish it this year, so I feel like that has been a miss for me.
So overall, I rate 2021 as a B grade. Shaky start, but decently strong finish.
If you think this is a good process, I would encourage you to write out your own reflection on the year past. What was the spiritual highlight? What was a spiritual miss?
Double the impact by sharing it with someone. If you don’t know who, share it with me by replying to this email.
I’m not here to judge. Just to hear what you have to say.
This is an important step for making plans for the future. And tomorrow I’ll share my 2022 plans with you. It will be connected to my assessment of this year – plus some more.
I hope to year from you. About your year, or any other topic that’s on your heart.
Blessings,
Dennis
